Crate.



PATENTED APR, 21; 1903.

R, DE WRIGHT.

CRATE.

APPLIOATION FILED Nov. 24, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

I Zlupemtom No. 725,942. PATENTED APR. 21, 1903.

3. DE WRIGHT.

CRATE.

nruonmn FILED Nov, 24, 1902. no MODEL. 2 sums-sum 2..

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Q vit eaam "n I I in crates, and relates Fries-i.

armer RICHARD DE WRIGHT, OF SAUGATUCK, MICHIGAN.

CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters EatentiNo. 725,942, dated April 21, 1903. Application filed November 24, 1902. Serial No. 132,585. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern: I

Be it'known that I, RICHARD, DE WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Saugatuck, inthe county of Allegan, State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Crates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention appertains to improvements more particularly to the construction of the end or corner braces, which are made up to provide slat-holders.

. The object of the present invention is to pro vide an improved formof end brace and slat-holder which is so constructed that the crate may be readily knocked down and when set up will present a rigid structure adapted for the transportation of fruit, vegetablesf poultry, and for such other purposes as crates may be used, and in the construction thereof there will be no internally-exposed metallic portions or sharp edges of metal which would be liable to injure the contents of the crate.

My invention consists in the construction of the end braces and slat-holders or cornerstays for crates, each end piece being made up from a single strip .of sheet metal which has punched or struck up therefrom a pluralityot converging tongues, which are adapted to receive the kerfed ends of slats, the

braces also having spurs to engage the slats,-

as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

' The invention further consists in the con struction and combination of the parts, as

will fully appear by reference to the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a practical embodiment otmyinvention,

Figure 1 is aplan view of a crate made up in accord with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, and in said view several of the holders.

- blanks before the upper slats have been removed from one side of the crate. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the end stays or slat- Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one end of oneof the longitudinal slats. Fig. 5 5' is a plan view'of a portion of one of the same is bent into shape.

Fig. 6 is an end view ofa solid bottom for the crate which may be used instead of spaced bottom slats. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of a poultry-crate, and Fig. 8 is a transverse section of the same. i

The stays or end braces and slat-holders crateare bent transversely on thedottedlines,

'the upperslats in assembling 7 remain therein when'the crate is set up.

1 the spurs b. on

separated ends of thetongue c.

A A are each preferably made up from fiat strips of sheet-metal, as shown ih Fig. 5, and from the ends of the blanks there are removed rectangular pieces to provide bifurcated end portionsa, a, onset the projecting portions being slightly wider than the'other. The ends a a when designed for an ordinary so that the parts "having perforations cfiwill be at right angles to the main portion of the strip and in practice will overlie the upper edge adjacent to the ends of thetop slats, the terminal portionsextending downward to overlie and eznbrace the sides ofsuch slats. The blank near its ends has perforations a 0. are driven into for the passage of nails, which I the crate and 7Q At a suitable distance from the ends of the blank,depending on the-height of the crate the blank is slitted transyersely, as shown at a and adjacent tosuchj slitsare perforations which register witheachother when the blank is bent one line with-said slit, as well as longitudinally on thedotted line a, which (lie poses the side portions of the strip at right: angles to each other.v ',The strip or slat holder adjacent to the slit c 'inay have perforations for the passage of nails which will enter and pass through the bottom and end slat-s. On I opposite sides ofthe longitudinal center of the blank such blank is cut through or stamped to provide spurs bl) and tongues e c, the lower cross-piece of the stay being of a siightly-different configura tion from those on the vertical members-of the stay, and these spurs are bent so that they will project at right angles from the portion of the stay with which they are integral. The spurs b are preferably bent up from ,the stays on a line with the connected portions of the tongue, the spurs 17' being on a lirie with the he tongues c 0 project atan acute angle trom one side of the stay, and each"pair\cf ongues converge to receive the converging keifs B in the ends of the slats. The blank used in themalgeup of an ordinary. crate after being properly bent presents angular'lside pieces which are connected by an angular bottom piece, the

members being held in proper alineinent by rivets which are passed through the perforations a. The end frames or slat holders and spacers can be perforated where desired, pref erably adjacent to the corners, to receive nails forconnecting the end frame positively to the bottom and to the lower side slats.

The ends of the longitudinal slats which make up the sides and bottom of the crate have kerfs B", which are cut at opposing angles and correspond with the inclination of the converging tongues c c, the depth of the kerfs in the bottom slats or bottom being greater in depth than those in the side slats, for in practice the bottom slats B would extend from one frame to the other, the spurs Z) entering the ends of such slats 1-3 or the end of a solid bottom the ends of which will be kerted, as shown in Fig. 6.

The end or transverse slats C are simply cut to the proper length, the sides adjacent to the ends being engaged by the spurs b on the vertical memberof the braces, such spurs being buried in the sides of the slats, the opposite side from the spurs being engaged by the ends of the longitudinal slats 13. The bottom slats B are overlaid adjacent to their ends by the lower traitisverse slats of the end of the crate.

It will be noted that the crate may have a bottom made up of properly-spaced. slats or that a solid bottom, as shown ini ig. 6, may be used, the construction of the end frames being suited to either style of bottom.

A crate made in accord with my invention may be readily assembled by first placing the transverse end slats in position and forcing the spurs Z) 12 into the same. verse slats of the end sections are preferably cut away on the under sides to provide a space through which the fingers can be passed to provide a hand-hole, and the upper corners of these slats are embraced by the bentover ends and are held by'nails which are driven into the slats after being passed through the openings a, a and a. The upper longitudinal slats B are engaged by the bent-over ends o and are held in place by nails which pass through perforations. The nails will prevent the frames from spreading when such frames do not extend entirely across the top of the crate. Perforations may also be provided adjacent to the bend in the side frames, the nails which pass through such perforations engaging the bottom and the lower slats.

When the tsansverse slats C have been connected to the frames A, the lougitud imal slats, which make up the bottom and sides of the crate, are placed so their kerfed ends will engage the converging tongue 0, the bottom of the crate, which may be of slats or ot a bottom board, being engaged by the spurs Zr, which enter the ends, and the upper faces of the bottom slats near their ends are overlaid by the lower transverse slats.

In. Figs. 7 and h the end frames extend ou tiroly about the ends of the crate, such construction being prcfcrmd when the crate is.

' The upper trans "mass-s to provide openings '12, through which the central slat may be passed to attach or remove the same. The removable top slat is held in place by nails which pass through perforations positioned above the opening E.

in the poultry-crate the spurs and tongues are present to engage the ends of the slat to properly hold and. space the same, the corners of theframe are riveted, as shown in Fig. 5, and the ends of each encircling frame is connected to its opposite end either by being welded, riveted, or by having one end overlie the other and secured by nails, which will enter a slat. i

The structure shown provides a rigid crate, which can be readily knocked down or separated into its component parts,- and in practice it may be constructed to receive a central brace, stay, or partition F, which will connect the longitudinal slats of one side of the crate and which may be used to carry adivision-board. The crate can be made up in dilferent sizes for diiferen't purposes, and in a completed crate there are no metallic projcctingportions either on the interior or exterior.

The corner-stay with its converging tongues and the slats with corresponding kerfs allow slats of different widths being used, for the construction shown and claimed does not depend upon providing each slat with ends which correspond as to size with sockets which receive the ends of slats.

Having thus described my invention, I do not wish to limit myself to the particular construction, arrangement, or proportion of theparts, and reserve the right to modify the construction within the spirit and scope of my claims.

. i I claim- 1. In aerate, an angular cud brace, slat holder and spacer having a plurality of inwardly-projecting and converging tongues and adjacent thereto inwardly-projecting spurs, in combination with slats having kcrfs which correspond as to configuration and spacing with the tongues.

.3. in a knockdown crate, an cud brace and slat-holder comprising an angular strip of shoot :notal'shapod to present on one side a plurality of converging tongues which are struck up therefrom, pointed spurs positioned on the side pieces substantially opposite the tongues, spurs on the vertical portion of the bottom part of the brace positioned to be locatcll at points opposite the iongucs, in com- I forth.

3. A corner-brace and slat-holder for crates I having on one sideinWard-projeeting slat-engaging tongues arranged. in pairs, in combination with slats the ends thereof having kerfs to correspond with the tongues of the 10 corner-brace, the slats being adapted to be slid transversely across the brace so that the tongues thereof will enter the way formed by the kerfs, substantially as shown.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name;

RICHARD DE WRIGHT,

Witnesses:

BYRON M. WEEDS, FRED. GOERWEILER. 

